US senators warn Paramount's Shari Redstone that settling Trump's CBS lawsuit could be ‘bribery'

Yahoo

29-05-2025

Paramount Global is facing fresh heat from Capitol Hill over its talks to settle a $20 billion defamation lawsuit brought by President Trump against CBS News — with three left-leaning US senators warning that a deal could potentially violate US anti-bribery laws.
In a letter sent Tuesday night to Paramount Chair Shari Redstone, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) warned that Paramount 'may be engaging in improper conduct involving the Trump administration in exchange for approval of its merger with Skydance Media.'
The letter and its contents were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The lawmakers are seeking detailed information about any concessions discussed with Trump, as well as any internal decisions to alter CBS programming — especially related to '60 Minutes,' the network's flagship investigative news show.
The lawsuit stems from a 2024 '60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which Trump claims was deceptively edited to favor her during the campaign.
CBS has vigorously denied the accusation, calling the suit 'completely without merit.'
'The American people deserve to know whether media companies are negotiating with public officials in ways that compromise journalistic independence,' the senators wrote.
'Such actions could amount to a violation of federal law.'
The timing of the lawsuit is critical.
Paramount is seeking regulatory clearance for its proposed $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
Redstone, chair of Paramount Global — CBS's parent company — stands to personally gain roughly $2 billion if the proposed merger with Skydance Media goes through.
The Federal Communications Commission, which must approve the deal, is currently chaired by Trump appointee Brendan Carr, raising concerns within the company that the lawsuit could jeopardize the merger unless resolved.
Paramount has denied any link between the litigation and the merger's approval process.
When reached by The Post, a Paramount spokesperson previously stated that the company would 'abide by the legal process to defend our case,' and declined further comment on the senators' letter.
The Post has sought comment from Skydance, the FCC and Trump.
CBS News' president and CEO, Wendy McMahon, resigned on Monday following what insiders describe as weeks of internal tension over how to handle the Trump lawsuit and its fallout.
As reported by The Post, McMahon had opposed settling the case and was alarmed by what she saw as growing pressure from Paramount to soften CBS's coverage of Trump.
Sources told The Post that McMahon was asked to resign over the weekend by CBS CEO George Cheeks, after months of strained relations.
In a memo to staff, she wrote: 'It's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward.'
McMahon's departure follows that of longtime '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens, who also resigned amid concerns about editorial independence.
One CBS insider told The Post: 'Wendy's exit means the Trump lawsuit mediation must be moving quickly and a deal will be done.'
McMahon's tenure at CBS had already been rocky. She oversaw a controversial overhaul of the evening news lineup, removing anchor Norah O'Donnell in favor of lesser-known journalists John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois — decisions that coincided with a ratings slump.
The nightly newscast reportedly now averages fewer than 4 million viewers.
As of 2025, about 20 to 22 million people watch the evening news across the three major broadcast networks, with ABC's 'World News Tonight' leading at around 9 million viewers, followed by NBC's 'Nightly News' with 6 to 7 million and CBS's 'Evening News' trailing with about 4 million.
McMahon also faced backlash after reprimanding anchor Tony Dokoupil for a pointed interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates about the Israel-Hamas conflict — an incident that reportedly drew disapproval from Redstone.
Adrienne Roark, a top editorial executive and close McMahon ally, also resigned shortly before McMahon's exit and is expected to take a role at TEGNA.
CBS CEO George Cheeks announced that McMahon's duties would be split between CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and CBS Stations president Jennifer Mitchell.
In her farewell memo, McMahon described her time at CBS as 'one of the most meaningful chapters in my career,' and praised her colleagues' 'commitment to truth, fairness and the highest standards.'